A methodology for risk assessment of LNG carriers accessing vulnerable port areas

Abstract

The navigation course of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers and fueled ships may cross vulnerable areas where commercial, civil, and industrial assets are present. Despite the effort made by scientific community and authorities, there are no consolidated methodologies addressing the risks arising from the interaction between LNG carriers and fueled ships accessing ports and onshore facilities. This work focuses on the development of a simplified methodology for risk assessment of LNG carriers and fueled ships in port areas able to identify accident scenarios involving the ship course and vulnerable targets. The analysis starts verifying the compliance with respect to the port regulations and the feasibility of the course with respect to the channels. Then, based on standard features of LNG carriers and fueled ships, a set of reference accidental scenarios to be considered during the risk assessment is identified. A specific guidance for the identification of hazards, estimation of frequencies and consequences is provided, finally adopting a customized risk matrix to support decision-making on prevention and mitigation measures. The application of the methodology to a real case study dealing with an important Italian harbor, highlights the capability of the method to support land use planning.